


equilibrium

by thisissirius



Category: Emmerdale
Genre: Angst, Fluff, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-01-21
Updated: 2017-01-21
Packaged: 2018-09-19 00:26:44
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,501
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9409199
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/thisissirius/pseuds/thisissirius
Summary: Finn looks uncomfortable and reticent, but he immediately makes a beeline for them.aaron finds out about finn's comments.





	

**Author's Note:**

  * For [wafflesofdoom](https://archiveofourown.org/users/wafflesofdoom/gifts).



> written for wafflesofdoom after being prompted on tumblr :)
> 
> actually happy with this \0/

The day after Aaron’s court case is withdrawn (citing lack of evidence, but Aaron knows it’s because Finn retracted his statement), Aaron wakes up slowly, feels the comforting weight of Robert next to him on the bed. There’s mere inches between them, Robert’s hair brushing Aaron’s cheek, and he grins, presses a kiss to the crown of Robert’s head. 

Robert’s been supportive beyond the norm the last couple of weeks, refusing to leave, planting himself like a wall between Aaron and anything with the potential to hurt him. Aaron’s ridiculously grateful, doesn’t know what he did to earn such love, such  _loyalty_ , but he’s clinging onto it with both hands, refusing to let go. 

It helps that he has a court ordered counselor, helping sort the cascading thoughts and feelings tumbling around Aaron’s head. It’s getting safer to be in his own head. 

“Mmmm s’too early,” Robert mumbles, shifting so that he can bury his face in Aaron’s shoulder. “Go back to sleep.”

Aaron snorts softly, lifts the hand Robert’s lying on to brush it through Robert’s hair. “You can.”

It doesn’t take long for Robert to do just that; he rests a hand on Aaron’s hip and Aaron feels when it becomes a dead weight, when Robert’s breaths even back out into sleep. It’s rare they get moments like these, especially lately, and Aaron’s going to savour it. 

The duvets low enough, pooling over their hips, that Aaron can see Robert’s ring poking out. His heart skips when he thinks back, how close they came to parting for good, but he doesn’t have to worry about that now, doesn’t ever have to worry about it. Robert’s not said it out loud, probably never will, but Aaron knows it was out of fear, that Robert’s heart was breaking about not being able to help, not being the thing that makes Aaron happy. 

Aaron’s trying to get Robert to see a counselor too, and it’s not working, but he’s confident he can make it happen. They both need it, both deserve to be happy and mentally well before they do anything. 

Robert makes a soft noise, shifts slightly and his nose presses into Aaron’s collarbone. He’s a soft, quiet sleeper a lot of the time, vicious in his kicks, but other than that, Aaron can’t complain. 

(The nightmares are terrible, brief but powerful and it’s all Aaron can do to cling on and whisper sweet nothings while Robert falls apart. Thankfully those are few and far between.)

The clock beside the bed shows 6:30. Aaron knows Robert’s got a meeting in Hotten in just under two hours and that they still have to get through the morning routine, which includes waking Liv up; never an easy task. 

“Hey,” Aaron whispers, brushing a kiss to Robert’s temple. “Come on.”

Robert whimpers, stretches slightly, fingers brushing against Aaron’s hip, causing him to shiver. “Morning.”

“Yeah, nice try,” Aaron laughs. He tangles his fingers in Robert’s hair, pushes him up for a kiss, even if it’s gross. They’re practiced in this, moving around each other in the early morning. “Up.”

Robert whines, but throws himself onto his back, stretching enough that the sheet barely hides Robert’s cock from sight. Aaron  _wants_ , but there’s time enough for that later. He shuffles out of bed, stretching himself, self-conscious about being naked, but when he turns and sees the heat in Robert’s face, he finds himself grinning and reaching for a pair of boxers.

 

 

 

Later, Aaron’s in the pub, sitting at bar and watching his mum and Charity working around each other. They’re getting better at it, sniping and joking in equal measure, and he’s so distracted he doesn’t notice when Robert walks in. 

“Hey,” Robert says, brushing a kiss to Aaron’s cheek. 

Aaron turns his face into it, grins and gestures for his mum to grab another pint. “Good meeting?”

Robert nods. “Should have another client for the haulage firm.”

Aaron’s grateful Robert’s stepped back his working with Home Farm, taking Aaron’s pleas to heart and even limiting how often he hangs with Rebecca. It helps, Aaron thinks fondly, that Robert seems to have accrued a couple of friends during the drama with Kasim. 

(Pete, lowkey anger with his brother for the handling of the situation, constantly kept them both updated with Finn’s headspace. Not something Aaron really cared about beyond what it meant for his case. Bob’s been around a couple of times, which is just plain weird, but if it makes Robert happy, Aaron’s content. He’s less content with Nicola, her sniping and voice grating enough, and with her history with Robert, but her and Robert have struck up a working relationship that’s starting to spill into their personal lives. Aaron can live with it if it means Robert looks as happy as he does lately, being able to set up nights out with  _friends_.)

The beers are steadily draining from their glasses, and from the way Robert’s hand is resting on Aaron’s thigh, the growing heat in his eyes, Aaron knows it’s only a matter of time before Robert drags him in the back room and up the stairs. 

Unfortunately, right at that moment, the door opens and the Barton brothers spill into the pub, followed more slowly by their mother. Aaron immediately stiffens; Pete gives Robert a smile, Ross makes eye contact but swiftly moves on, and Finn-

Finn looks uncomfortable and reticent, but he immediately makes a beeline for them. 

“Finn,” Pete warns, but Finn holds up a hand. 

Next to Aaron, Robert’s gone all tight and angry, Aaron can practically see it simmering under the surface.

“Aaron.” Finn stands awkwardly behind them, and Aaron swivels to face him. Robert doesn’t. “Listen, I’ve been - this whole thing with Kasim got out of hand. Mum thought I should see someone -” Robert snorts nastily, fingers tight around his glass. Aaron elbows him, watches Finn’s face fall for a moment “- and it’s helping. I just wanted to apologise.”

Robert makes a low noise, and Aaron can see his shoulder start to hunch, the expression he gets when he’s going to lose whatever control he has on his anger. 

“Thanks,” Aaron says, hoping that’s an end to it.

Finn doesn’t leave, throws a glance to Robert’s back, then gives Aaron a tentative, unwelcome smile. “I was too wrapped up in whatever was happening with Kasim that I didn’t think about you. I know it can’t have been easy.”

Robert lets out a laugh. “Sure.”

“I’m not heartless,” Finn snaps, finding some anger of his own. 

The glass in Robert’s hand tips, spilling what’s left of his beer on the bar.

“Stop talking,” Aaron advises Finn. “Now.”

“No,” Robert says, finally turning around. “Say what you wanna say, Finn. Why don’t you tell him exactly how _sorry_  you are. Tell him what you told me about how well he’d handle it in prison!”

The words startle Aaron, but he grits his teeth, rests a hand on Robert’s arm. “Stop it, this isn’t helping.”

Robert looks angrier than Aaron’s seen him in a while and he doesn’t understand. Can’t Robert see this isn’t the answer?”

“Maybe,” Robert says, voice tight and unhappy, “you should tell him how prison might have brought him someone new.”

 _What_?!

“Look,” Finn says, not denying anything, and Aaron’s own anger blossoms in his chest. It doesn’t spill, he’s learning to control it, but that doesn’t mean he doesn’t glare at Finn. “I was angry, confused.”

“I think,” Aaron says, his tone hard, “You should leave.”

Finn’s face falls again, but this time Aaron doesn’t care. “I am sorry.”

“I don’t care,” Robert says, at the same time Aaron says, “ _Go_ , Finn.”

Thankfully, Finn does. 

“Come on.” Aaron grabs Robert’s hand and pulls him away, dragging him to the corridor between the back room and the pub. “What was that about?”

Robert’s jaw tightens, but he spills everything; confronting Finn, finding out Finn was the one who called the police, the fact that he made a  _joke_  of Robert losing Aaron in jail. 

“Listen to me,” Aaron says, heart skipping. Robert’s got a brilliant expression that covers his feelings, so good anyone else would believe it, but Aaron knows him too well, watches it slide onto his face. Underneath there’s fear,  _belief_  that it could happen. “You’re it for me, Rob, you know that right?”

“Course,” Robert says, as believable as his expression. 

“You are,” Aaron stresses, curling a hand around the back of Robert’s neck. “I don’t let just anyone marry me, you know.”

Something soft and tentative breaks out on Robert’s face, and he smiles. “I guess I’m lucky, then.”

Aaron laughs, drags Robert down for a kiss. “I love ya, you know that, yeah?”

“Yeah, I know,” Robert says, grinning like an idiot. Aaron rolls his eyes because he  _knows_  Robert’s ridiculous about his Han Solo moments, but then raises his eyebrows, expectantly. “Yeah, yeah, I love you too.”

“Nice,” Aaron mutters, but pulls Robert in for another kiss anyway.


End file.
